Psychology BA/Social Work MSW

Admission Criteria

Current UB students seeking admission to the Psychology BA will be added to the major upon request by completing the Undergraduate Major/Minor Change Request Form.

Students apply to the BA and MSW portions of the program separately. Admission to the graduate portion of the degree is competitive. Meeting minimum requirements does not guarantee admission. 

After completing the prerequisites, Psychology students can apply to the MSW portion of the program their junior year, and if accepted, their senior year will count as the last year of their undergraduate degree as well as their first year of the MSW, saving time and credits. Meet with staff in the Psychology department to confirm that you will have met all undergraduate requirements below.

• Major in the Psychology BA Degree Program in the UB College of Arts and Sciences.
• Have completed a minimum of 90 undergraduate credits.
• Have completed the general education program.
• Have an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or greater.
• Have significant employment or volunteer experience in a human services setting.
• Have completed 24 credits in liberal arts coursework:
  • 6 must be in the social or behavioral sciences (e.g., psychology, sociology, anthropology, political science).
  • 6 must be in the arts or humanities (e.g., history, English, foreign languages, philosophy, ethnic/gender studies).
  • 12 credits may be made up with any combination of the above or with courses from the natural sciences or mathematics.

Undergraduate Major Requirements

Graduate Courses

Total Credits Required for the Undergraduate Major: 39

Additional Degree Requirements Include:

• Additional coursework to fulfill UB Curriculum requirements
• A minimum of 19 credits of Liberal Arts and Sciences elective courses 

Total Undergraduate Credits Required: 90

Total Credits Required for Graduate Degree: 60

Total Credits Required for Graduation: 150

Total Credit Hours Required represents the minimum credits needed to complete this program, and may vary based on a number of circumstances. This should not be used for financial aid purposes.

Academic Requirements

• A minimum combined GPA of 2.500 in the Psychology BA Core courses (see above) is required for graduation
• A minimum combined GPA of 2.000 across all psychology courses counting toward the major is required for good standing in the major and for graduation
• Majors whose GPA in psychology courses falls below 2.000 during any semester are automatically placed on probation
• Majors whose GPA remains below 2.000 in consecutive semesters are dismissed from the major
• 400-level courses are open only to psychology majors. 
• PSY 495  and PSY 496  augment the undergraduate experience but do not count toward the course requirements for majors.
• PSY 497 , PSY 498  and PSY 499  may be taken for degree credit, but only 3 credit hours from this group may count toward major requirements.

Transfer Credit Policy

A minimum of 3 upper-level (300- or 400-level) psychology courses must be taken at UB.

Program Honors and Program Distinction

The Psychology Honors Program is a year-long program designed to enable students to complete an individual research project (i.e., Honors Thesis) under the supervision of a faculty advisor. Seniors with a GPA of at least 3.000 overall and in psychology courses who have secured a faculty advisor to supervise their work are eligible. Prior or concurrent completion of PSY 450  is required. PSY 300  and PSY 498   are strongly recommended. Students take PSY 497  fall semester and write an Honors Thesis throughout the fall and spring semesters. Students defend their thesis in an oral examination at the end of the spring semester. Students must also meet the remaining Program Honors criteria outlined in the Academic Honors policy. 

Majors who do not pursue a thesis but have exceptional grades are eligible for Program Distinction upon degree conferral if the criteria are met.  These criteria are also found in the Academic Honors policy.

Curricular Plan

Learning Outcomes

The Psychology BA is designed to address the standards established by the American Psychological Association for an undergraduate psychology major. Five goals and learning outcomes represent departmental expectations for the undergraduate psychology major.

Upon successful completion of all requirements, the student will have knowledge of:

• Content Knowledge and Applications: Students should demonstrate comprehension of the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, historical trends, and empirical or evidence-based findings to discuss how psychological principles apply to behavior and mental processes.
• Scientific Inquiry and Critical Thinking: The skills in this domain involve the development of scientific reasoning and investigation, including developing proficiencies in research methods and statistics.
• alues in Psychological Science: This goal promotes the development of ethical and socially responsible values and behaviors in personal, professional, organizational, and institutional settings. The goal includes ethical reasoning and practices, interpersonal and intercultural responsiveness, and strategies that promote and sustain strong communities and equitable opportunities.
• Communication, Psychological Literacy, and Technology Skills: The skills in this category address the ability of students to build and maintain effective communication skills in processing and expressing information.
• Personal and Professional Development: The skills in this domain refer to abilities that sharpen students’ readiness for the workplace whether the student’s future involves graduate school or a job following the baccalaureate degree.  The emphasis in this domain involves self-regulation, project management skills, professional judgment, collaboration skills, and proficiency in workplace technology and career planning.

(HEGIS: 20.01 PSYCHOLOGY- GENERAL, CIP: 42.0101 Psychology, General)